Power to face the inevitable.

It occurred like every other day; he was embracing himself into the same warmth it had always been there within himself. He flickered his eyes several times awaiting the only dawn of his day. His eyes wide open screening a reflection of the solitude that fenced him every instant of his life. His arms; broad and strong were draped around himself as if assuring him about the strength he had kept back the entire night to be able to see her at this hour of day. Yes he was waiting for her. His friends would find him pitiable but he never cared. All he knew was that he could not afford to miss that glimpse of her.

There was something glittering in his eyes. He looked towards the distraction. There was something that decanted pure gold from one side of the sky. His lips broadened into a smile which was unintended. His heart started hammering against his chest as he continued to smile. He knew after the shower of pure gold she would come forth and like always he would yet again fall in love with her. He loved her. He might not have been the perfect lover, but he loved her with all he had and then some more. She would be the first and last thing on his mind each and every day. The first time he realised that he was in love with her was when he found himself looking at her and smiling for no reason, for the sixtieth time in the past one minute. Everyone deserves a person who looks at them every day as if it’s the first time and now today, yet again he is looking at her like every other day and smiling for no reason. Yes she had come forth. Looking at her indestructible and imperishable charm he thought to himself that she was the loveliest thing that had ever occurred to him.

He found her so beautiful that he felt could not even contain her exquisiteness in his eyes. He always wanted more of her to gaze at. She, like every other day strode out of her palace and was welcomed by his eyes. She did not make a very clear image in his eyes but he found her to be eternally beautiful. He unwrapped his arms and spread them as if welcoming her manifestation in the very moment which he would want to cherish for the rest of his life. She had a body softer than the petals of a beautiful red rose and a smile that would enlighten the world of immortals. She was beautiful and it made him smile.

 It had been a long time since he had fallen in love with her but he had never declared it in front of anyone other than himself. The thought of walking in front of her and telling her that how much he loved her had struck his mind a number of times but he did not have the audacity to show up before her. He feared that she would not accept his love; that she would hate him thereafter; that he would never be able to look at the most beautiful creation ever again; that he would lose the beauty of the moment which was fashioned every morning.

But the night earlier he had given it a thought that for how long will he just keep looking at her and falling in love with her over and over again. Although he could do this for the entire life of his but he wanted to embrace her. He wanted to be able to look at her closely. He wanted to be able to look deep into her eyes and find out if she also loved him. He wanted to be able to kiss her. He wanted to catch hold of her and never let go. Whenever he looked at her, he fell in love with her and smiled because he knew one day she too will. He believed in his love for her which always gave him the strength to love her even more and now he wanted her to know about his love.

She was just there, standing still as if waiting for him but he knew she could not see her. It was too gloomy in there for anyone to spot him amidst so many of his type. He spread his arms wide and advanced towards her, struggling against the thumps of the wind. In a moment he was free from the enchantments of the dark. He looked at her and his lips widened into a smile. That very smile had no reason behind it but then he knew, there was apparently a reason behind that smile of his.

He stood in front of her, obstructing her way. She commanded the radiant horses that drew her chariot to come to a halt and looked at him, startled. Not because she found him breathtakingly charming but because she was astounded to see someone with the audacity to block her way. The moment froze. She was looking at him and he was looking at her. He had never been so close to her ever and so, never realised how beautiful she was. Today he was dumbstruck. Her saffron coloured robe was enchanting. She had rosy fingers with golden arms. She was crowned with a beautiful diadem. The large white-feathered wings of an angel. She was the most beautiful sight ever.

He tried hard to stay where he was, not wanting her to leave yet. He wanted to say beautiful things to her. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her but he was incapable of saying anything. He could feel an aching sensation in his arms and it was turning difficult for him to flutter any longer but by just looking at her he could salvage all the strength lost. But before he could say anything she spoke. 

“Please step away from my path as I have to open the gates for my brother who has to rise and do justice to the world. My sister wants to rest too, now.”

He looked at her lips move elegantly as she spoke. He spoke up. “Dear most beautiful lady of this world, please take out some time and listen to what I have to say to you and then I promise I will leave.” His acknowledgement of her as the most beautiful lady brought a smile on her face and a blush. The sky turned crimson red all of a sudden. He looked at her. She nodded and waved her hand instructing him to say whatever he wanted to.

He said, “I have tried to find someone as beautiful as you are but no one seemed worthy. Also, I cannot compare you to anyone else because it would be a sin to denounce your beauty. Each facet of your being, whether it’s physical or spiritual is an ensnarement from which there’s no release. I wish to stay entrapped forever with you for all eternity. Our hearts, always as one. If I could have just one wish, I would wish to wake up every day to the warmth of your breath on my neck, the peck of your lips on my cheek, the touch of your fingers on my skin, and the feel of your heart beating with mine…” Before he could say another word, he felt a trifling pain in his arms and stopped. It was getting unbearable with each passing second as the sky grew brighter. He looked at her and asked, “Will you be mine?”

She could not contain her smile just within herself. But then she spoke up. “I can’t appreciate true love anymore. I am cursed by a lady to be perpetually in love forever so I will hurt you some or the other day. Moreover, the rules of the world I belong to, don’t allow me to fall in love with someone like you; you have the limitation of mortality while I am immortal. My youth, my beauty, my charm, my body will all be the same forever but you will eventually grow old with time. We are not compatible.”

“Let me love you if not for the rest of your life then for the rest of mine.” He said.

She looked at him and in his eyes she could see infinite amount of love for her but how could she do which was against the will of every individual person she was concerned with. She knew she was once cursed by a jealous lady with a sexual desire that would never be satisfied which had caused her to abduct a number of handsome young men. Looking at his love for her, she did not want to hurt him ever, so without saying a word to him she commanded Lampos and Phaethon to march forward. The huge chariot moved towards the gates of the heaven. He stood right where he was and kept looking at her while she fled away. She opened the gates and her brother came out elevating high into the morning sky while her sister faded away.

He could feel an excruciating pain in his arms. It felt like they were scorching. He tried to concentrate upon her but she was gone by now. All he could see was a strong and huge brother of the lady he loved, ready to take away his arms from him. He descended towards the pit of darkness he came from, still revolting against the burning sensation. Though his arms did not burn completely as he was able to reach his home in time but the damage was done. He wrapped his arms around himself and positioned himself such that he could look at the world upside down. He was ready to wait for the entire night to pass by and then in the morning fall in love with her yet again…

Some love stories are never meant to be but that doesn't mean there was no love involved. At some point we have to realise that some people can stay in our hearts, but not in our lives. He loved her until the day he stopped breathing. He won’t be able to fly anymore.